By
Pat Reavy, KSL
|
Posted - Feb 22nd, 2019 @ 7:24am

SALT LAKE CITY — A man who police say tried to avoid being caught in a sting operation by carrying a police scanner with him was arrested and charged this week with enticing a minor.

Eric Fillerup, 38, of West Jordan, was charged Thursday in 3rd District Court with enticing a minor by text, a second-degree felony, and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, a third-degree felony.

On Feb 7, the Salt Lake City Police Department was conducting an "online chat operation targeting people that have sexual interest in children," according to charging documents. Fillerup contacted an undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old girl, the charges state.

Despite being told by the undercover officer that the "girl" he was talking to was in junior high school, Fillerup arranged to meet with her on Feb. 15 for the purpose of having sex, according to charging documents.

When Fillerup arrived at the designated meeting location, police found him "actively listening to a police scanner on his cellphone in order to avoid detection from law enforcement," according to a Salt Lake County Jail booking report.